Moistening device for envelops.



V. A. SCOFIELD. MOISTENING DEVICE FOR ENVELQPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. n. 1915.

,2 ,793. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

V. A. SCOFIELD.

MOISTENING DEVICE FOR ENVELOPS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. I915.

1 ,246 ,793 Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNI ED VIRGIL A. SCUFIELD, OF COCHISE, ARIZONA.

MOISTENING DEVICE roe nivvntors.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 17, 1915. Serial No. 62,005.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, VIRGIL A. ScorIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cochise, inthe county of Cochise and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moistening Devices for Envelops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will'enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple, cheap, durable and efficient envelop moistener and sealer, of such construction that the operation of moistening and sealing can be conveniently and expeditiously performed.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the combined moistener and sealer,

Fig. 2 is a frontelevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the moistener,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the moistener and sealer,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the presser plate for the moistener, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the presser detached from the moistener.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates a housing, of rectangular configuration and having the top thereof open. The rear wall of thehousing has its upper edge extended upwardly to provide a wall 2, said wall being offset at a point above the housing 1, as at 3, said offset portion having formed therein a pair of spaced slots H, which are located adjacent the opposite ends of the wall, the terminal of the wall being extended vertically above the offset portion 3, as shown at 6.

Removably positioned within the housing 1 is a receptacle 7. This receptacle is of rectangular configuration and has the top and bottom thereof open, and has its side and end walls arranged in spaced relation to the respective side and end walls of the housing 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and at of the drawings.

Removably mounted upon the upper end of the receptacle 7, is a bed-plate 8. This bed-plate 8 has an opening 9 therein, communicating with the interior of the receptacle and by means of which water can be poured into the receptacle. The bed-plate 8 has a marginal depending flange 10 thereon, which extends into the space between the receptacle and the housing, spaced from the:

walls of the receptacle and the housing, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 4: of the drawings.

The bed-plate 8 has associated therewith liquid absorbing'fabric 11. This liquid absorbing fabric 11 covers the entire upper surface of the bed-plate 8 and has exten sions 1212 formed thereon, which engage under the depending flange 10 and extend into the receptacle and are secured 'to each other by means of .a hook and eye 13 and 14:. An extension 15 extends from the rear edge of the fabric 11 and engages around mama Nov. 13, 1917.

the rear side of the flange 10 and over the rear-wall of the receptacle, and terminally extendsinto the receptacle so as to admit of the water or other liquid withinthe receptacle being fed to the fabric on the bedplate, by capillary attraction. The fabric 11 has also formed thereon at its forward longitudinal edge, a pair of depending sections 16 which extend into the space between the front walls of the receptacle and. housing, as shown in Fig. 4: of the drawings. The fabric 11 is provided with a cutaway portion 17 providing an opening which registers with the opening 9 so as to admit of the filling'of the receptacle 7 with liquid.

Operable against the bed-plate 8 and the absorbent material 11, is a presser plate 18. The presser plate 18 is of substantial rectangular configuration and has a manipulating member 19 thereon. The rear longitudinal edge of the presser plate 18 has a ledge 20 formed thereon and projecting upwardly from the upper edge of the ledge 20 is a pair of spaced guide members 21 which slidably extend through the slot 4 in the offset portion 3 of the wall 2 and have their upper terminals bent downwardly as at 22. A. coil spring 23 is secured to the upper end of the wall 2, and centrally thereof, and has its opposite ends extended upwardly in diverging relation and terminally engaged under the downwardly bent terminal 22 on the guide 21, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. The spring 23 serves to return the presser plate 18 to normal inoperative position, after the same has been operated. The pressing device, designated by the numeral 25 as an entirety, is positioned eXteriorly of the housing 1 and at the front wall thereof and includes a rectangular shaped bed-plate 26, having a vertical wall 27 formed on the rear longitudinal edge thereof, said wall having its upper end deflected inwardly, as at 28, and provided with a pair of spaced longitudinal slots 29. The wall :27 has a vertically disposed hook 30 formed centrally thereon, the bill 31 of which is adapted todetachably engage over the upper edge of the front wall of the housing 1 and to lie between the front wall of the housing, 1 and the front wall of the inner receptacle 7.

Operable against the bedplate 26 is a presser plate32 having a manipulating handle 33 formed thereon. This presser plate is of rectangular. configuration and has its rear longitudinal edge. pro-videdTwith vertically disposed guide strips 34 slidably (BX-- tending through the longitudinal slots 29 in the deflected end of the wall 27 and have their terminals bent inwardly, as at 35. The inner face of the wall 27 has a coil spring 36 associated therewith, the opposite ends of which spring are extended in diverging relation to each other and terminally engage under the bent terminal 35 of the guides 34:. The spring 36 serves to return the pressure plate32- to normal position after the same has been operated.

The presser plates 18. and 32 are each formed of a blank of material folded upon itself to provide a superposed flap, the rear edge of the upper flap beingbent upwardly and cutaway at spaced points to provide the guide strips at the rear edges of the presser plate. Likewise, the bedplate 26 of the sealing device is also formed of a single blank of material foldedupon itself so as to provide superposed flaps, and having the rear end of the uppermost flap eX- tended upwardly to provide the wall 27, the said wall being cut away to provide the vertically disposed hook 31.

In use, the receptacle 7 and the space between the receptacle 7 and the housing 1 are filled with liquid, the extensions 15 and 16 of the absorbent strips of material 11 drawing the liquid upwardly, resulting in the saturation of that portion. of the absorbent material which covers the bed-plate. When gummed surface of the envelop flap has. been moistened, and the flap folded to closedpositionon the envelop, the envelop is placed,

on the bed-plate 26 of thesealing" device" and the presser plate 32 lowered into engagement with the envelop, so as to cause the flap to adhere to the envelop. Vhen the presser is released from the presser plate 26, the spring 36 will return the-plate to normal posit-ion. "i I a.: Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is V l e 1. A device of the class described comprising a housing, a receptacle located within the housing, a bed plate positioned on the receptacle, liquid absorbing material associated with the bed plate and extending into the receptacle, one ofthe walls of the housing being-extended above the bed plate and provided with slots, a presser plate operable against the bed plate, guides carried by the presser plate and slidably mounted in the openings in the mentioned wall of'the hous- 2. A moistener including, a bed plate, a wall located in rear of the bed plate and having its upper end provided with slotted offset portions, a presser plate operable against the bed plate, vertical guides mounted on the presser plate and slidable through the slot in the offset portion and having their upper terminals bent downwardly, and a spring associated with the wall and having its opposite ends engaging under the downwardly bent terminals of the sides, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VIRGIL A. SCOFIELD.

Witnesses:

EUSLES B. MONMONIER, CHARLES 3. MONMONIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatenti,

Washington, D. 0. 

